THE BRIDGE

tag Showcase Gig

Japan’s digital marketing startup Showcase Gig launches IoT platform for retailers

Junya Mori Junya Mori
SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Showcase Gig, the digital marketing startup best known for its mobile wallet and CRM (customer relationship management) platform ‘O:der’ (pronounced ‘order’), recently launched an IoT (Internet of Things) platform called O:der Connect, which connects the O:der app that consumers have on their smartphones with in-store hardware devices at retailers. See also: How a Japanese startup plans to disrupt the CRM industry with a mobile solution Japan’s digital marketing startup Showcase Gig fundraises from Loyalty Marketing Japan’s Showcase Gig invents new platform, aiming to streamline the restaurant business O:der Connect O:der Connect is an extensive feature of the O:der platform. By installing the O:der Connect app into cash registers, it will link up with the O:der platform so that store clerks can handle tasks such as mobile app-based payments, customer relationship management, and order management using a cash register. Customer visit notifications using Beacon as well as order and payment information from apps are shown on the screen of cash registers, enabling retailers to complete tasks, which previously required multiple devices, on a single device. Since order data will be analyzed online real-time, information such as more personalized coupons can now be sent out. Casio’s V-Regi is the…

oder-connect_featuredimage

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Showcase Gig, the digital marketing startup best known for its mobile wallet and CRM (customer relationship management) platform ‘O:der’ (pronounced ‘order’), recently launched an IoT (Internet of Things) platform called O:der Connect, which connects the O:der app that consumers have on their smartphones with in-store hardware devices at retailers.

See also:

O:der Connect

oder-connect-diagram

O:der Connect is an extensive feature of the O:der platform. By installing the O:der Connect app into cash registers, it will link up with the O:der platform so that store clerks can handle tasks such as mobile app-based payments, customer relationship management, and order management using a cash register.

Customer visit notifications using Beacon as well as order and payment information from apps are shown on the screen of cash registers, enabling retailers to complete tasks, which previously required multiple devices, on a single device. Since order data will be analyzed online real-time, information such as more personalized coupons can now be sent out.

Casio’s V-Regi is the first model as a cash register linkable with the O:der Connect platform, which was exhibited at RetailTech Japan 2015 from March 3rd to the 6th in Tokyo.

sub3-640x480

The above screen will appear in a cash register using O:der Connect. When a customer places an order using the O:der app, a new order will be added to the ‘newly arrived orders’ section on the retailer’s interface. By tapping on the order in that, its details will appear on the next screen.

sub4-640x480

When a store clerk accepts receiving the order on this screen, the user will be notified with a confirmation that the order has been received, while the store begins preparing an item based the order. When the item has been prepared, retailers can send the user another notification simply using the cash register they usually use.

When the user visits the store, Beacon will detect the approach so that retailers can promptly hand the item over to the user. Store clerks can check out profile details of O:der customers visiting at storefront, which allows retailers to issue a discount coupon for a customer’s birthday purchase or understand how often or frequently the customer has visited their store.

Showcase Gig wants to expand the applicable scope range of the O:der Connect platform from cash registers beyond to hardware devices, wearable devices, and connected cars.

As more smart devices will be introduced in the future, the O:der connect app will allow more consumers to easily place orders and payments, while it will also enable retailers to make a different promotional effort to every single customer thanks to the analysis from acquired data about customer behaviors.

These are good enough to excite us, but the Showcase Gig team still have some more news releases which will give us a big surprise. They have been proposing new forms of in-store retail practices every year, so it will be really interesting to see what they will bring next.

akira-nakako_takefumi-nitta
From the right: Showcase Gig CEO Takefumi Nitta, producer Akira Nakano

Translated by Kenji Hayakawa via Conyac crowdsourced translation service
Edited by Masaru Ikeda and “Tex” Pomeroy

Related news

  1. Japan’s digital marketing startup Showcase Gig fundraises from Loyalty Marketing
  2. Japan’s Showcase Gig invents new platform, aiming to streamline the restaurant business
  3. Japan’s Showcase Gig secures series A funding, starts nationwide operations

Japan’s Showcase Gig invents new platform, aiming to streamline the restaurant business

Junya Mori Junya Mori
SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Showcase Gig, the startup best known for its mobile wallet and CRM (customer relationship management) platform’O:der‘ (pronounced ‘order’), announced yesterday that it has developed a new ordering system called ‘Smart O:der’ in association with United & Collective, the company behind several Japanese restaurant chains. The new system will start operating tomorrow at the 3rd Burger hamburger restaurants in Aoyama and Roppongi Hills shopping complex in Tokyo. The video below shows how the system works. When you download the ‘O:der’ app to a smartphone and associate your credit card information with your account, you can order food and pay the bill using the app before you go to a ‘Smart O:der’ system-enabled restaurant. Before the introduction of this new system, users could order in advance but had to pay the bill at the restaurant. When you place an order and make payment using the app, your order will then be transmitted to the restaurant. Upon arrival at the restaurant, a sensor device installed there will detect your arrival and notify the kitchen staff to start preparing your food. With this system you will not need to wait long for your food or wait in…

At yesterday's press briefing: Showcase Gig CEO Takefumi Nitta (right), United & Collective CEO Hideya Sakai (left)
At yesterday’s press briefing: Showcase Gig CEO Takefumi Nitta (right), United & Collective CEO Hideya Sakai (left)

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Showcase Gig, the startup best known for its mobile wallet and CRM (customer relationship management) platform’O:der‘ (pronounced ‘order’), announced yesterday that it has developed a new ordering system called ‘Smart O:der’ in association with United & Collective, the company behind several Japanese restaurant chains.

The new system will start operating tomorrow at the 3rd Burger hamburger restaurants in Aoyama and Roppongi Hills shopping complex in Tokyo. The video below shows how the system works.

When you download the ‘O:der’ app to a smartphone and associate your credit card information with your account, you can order food and pay the bill using the app before you go to a ‘Smart O:der’ system-enabled restaurant. Before the introduction of this new system, users could order in advance but had to pay the bill at the restaurant.

When you place an order and make payment using the app, your order will then be transmitted to the restaurant. Upon arrival at the restaurant, a sensor device installed there will detect your arrival and notify the kitchen staff to start preparing your food. With this system you will not need to wait long for your food or wait in a long line to pick up your “to go” meals. United & Collective tested the system at their restaurants and found it could double their order processing speed during lunch peak hours.

Coinciding with this announcement, Showcase Gig rolled out a new feature that allows retailers to give users digital loyalty customer stamps or reward coupons using the beacon-based noncontact type authentication system for iOS, which is the first of its kind in the world, they explained.

The company is planning to add a new service allowing users to pick up their orders at a restaurant at the time appointed in advance.

smartorder_featuredimage

Related news

  1. Japan’s digital marketing startup Showcase Gig launches IoT platform for retailers
  2. Japan’s Colopl adds popular restaurant sim game to its platform
  3. Japan’s restaurant reservation platform company Toreta fundraises $2 million

Japan’s digital marketing startup Showcase Gig fundraises from Loyalty Marketing

Junya Mori Junya Mori
SHARE:

This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese. Tokyo-based digital marketing startup Showcase Gig, the startup behind ‘O:der’ (apparently pronounced ‘order’), announced on Tuesday that it has fundraised an undisclosed sum of investment from Japan’s largest reward program operator Loyalty Marketing. Since its launch back in July, the startup has been providing a suite of CRM solutions for small-sized retailers, comprising of two iOS apps, one for consumers and the other for merchants. The consumer app has a mobile wallet feature that enables payment by credit card prior to picking up a product at the shop. Check out the video below to see how it works. Loyalty Marketing provides a reward and loyalty program called Ponta and gives over 60 million consumers in Japan discounts or rewards at about 22,500 retail stores from 103 brands. The company collects an enormous amount of consumer behavior data using the reward platform and helps brands roll out their better marketing efforts. Since before the funding at this time, Showcase Gig and Loyalty Marketing have been working together in developing a gamification app called Ponta Time. In addition, the ‘O:der’ app has adopted a payment gateway service from Loyalty Marketing for enabling…

showcasegig_featuredimage

This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese.

Tokyo-based digital marketing startup Showcase Gig, the startup behind ‘O:der’ (apparently pronounced ‘order’), announced on Tuesday that it has fundraised an undisclosed sum of investment from Japan’s largest reward program operator Loyalty Marketing.

Since its launch back in July, the startup has been providing a suite of CRM solutions for small-sized retailers, comprising of two iOS apps, one for consumers and the other for merchants. The consumer app has a mobile wallet feature that enables payment by credit card prior to picking up a product at the shop.

Check out the video below to see how it works.

Loyalty Marketing provides a reward and loyalty program called Ponta and gives over 60 million consumers in Japan discounts or rewards at about 22,500 retail stores from 103 brands. The company collects an enormous amount of consumer behavior data using the reward platform and helps brands roll out their better marketing efforts.

Since before the funding at this time, Showcase Gig and Loyalty Marketing have been working together in developing a gamification app called Ponta Time. In addition, the ‘O:der’ app has adopted a payment gateway service from Loyalty Marketing for enabling users to pay on mobile.

Showcase Gig unveiled that they have surpassed over 100 merchants using their app this month. They primarily target female consumers in their 30s, but they think their user demographics will become more diverse as they get more various merchants. In order to better understand market needs, the company will need to learn more about consumer behaviors to keep providing appropriate services.

Showcase Gig’s CEO Takefumi Nitta told us Loyalty Marketing’s Ponta platform can collect detailed consumer profiles as well as typical sales records, allowing them to markedly define the demographics of different behavioral types of consumers. The two companies will work closely to develop a smash-hit service in the O2O (online-to-offline) space.

Related news

  1. Japanese cross-industry loyalty program Ponta to launch in Indonesia
  2. Japan’s digital marketing startup Showcase Gig launches IoT platform for retailers
  3. Japan’s Showcase Gig invents new platform, aiming to streamline the restaurant business

Japan’s Showcase Gig secures series A funding, starts nationwide operations

Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based digital marketing startup Showcase Gig, the startup behind ‘O:der’ (apparently pronounced ‘order’), announced today that it has raised funds from Nissay Capital and Nippon Venture Capital. The exact details of the funding were not disclosed but we understand that the amount is in the millions (US dollars). According to the startup’s CEO Takefumi Nitta, this is series A funding to follow their angel round secured at the company’s began back in February of 2012. Since the launch of O:der back in July, the company has been providing a suite of CRM solutions for small-sized retailers, comprising of two iOS apps, one for consumers and the other for merchants. The consumer app has a mobile wallet feature that lets you pay by credit card before picking up a product at the shop. Nitta told us they have implemented their solutions at 25 stores to date, and they expected to expand to 50 stores by the end of February. They’ve taken their time to carefully select stores to implement their solution. About 70% of their initial users have used the tool more than twice, which convinced them that it was a solid CRM tool for…

showcasegig_featuredimage

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based digital marketing startup Showcase Gig, the startup behind ‘O:der’ (apparently pronounced ‘order’), announced today that it has raised funds from Nissay Capital and Nippon Venture Capital. The exact details of the funding were not disclosed but we understand that the amount is in the millions (US dollars).

According to the startup’s CEO Takefumi Nitta, this is series A funding to follow their angel round secured at the company’s began back in February of 2012.

Since the launch of O:der back in July, the company has been providing a suite of CRM solutions for small-sized retailers, comprising of two iOS apps, one for consumers and the other for merchants. The consumer app has a mobile wallet feature that lets you pay by credit card before picking up a product at the shop. Nitta told us they have implemented their solutions at 25 stores to date, and they expected to expand to 50 stores by the end of February.

They’ve taken their time to carefully select stores to implement their solution. About 70% of their initial users have used the tool more than twice, which convinced them that it was a solid CRM tool for small businesses. With the funds raised this time around, the company plans to expand their operations beyond Tokyo prefecture. Nitta adds:

Rather than expanding our business, we are currently focusing on validating our product with stores that are more conscious about digital technologies for retail sales. In addition to small independent stores, we’d like to acquire larger store chains to use our solutions in the future.

Our readers may recall that he has been involved in notable offline businesses too, producing Tokyo Girls Collection, one of the country’s biggest fashion events, and mixiXmas, a campaign run by Mixi.

Related news

  1. Japanese online ticketing service Peatix secures $3M in series A funding
  2. Japan’s nail art photo app Nailbook secures $840,000 series A round funding
  3. Japan’s EV startup GLM secures $14.3 million funding in series B round

How a Japanese startup plans to disrupt the CRM industry with a mobile solution

Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based digital marketing startup Showcase Gig recently launched a suite of CRM (customer relationship management) solutions for small-sized stores. The service is called ‘O:der’ (apparently pronounced “order”), and is comprised of two iOS apps, one for consumers and another for merchants. The merchants app allows you to market your business by issuing virtual coupons, and collect payments from customers before they visit your store. The app gives you several CRM features such as authenticating customers at the storefront for rewards, or distributing promotional coupons to customers’ smartphones. This solution will help you market your business without a point of sales terminal. As of now, the service is running at Fiat Caffe in Aoyama, Tokyo on a testing basis. The Android version of the consumer app will go live in early September. The service will be provided on a freemium basis. If you wish to use additional options such as the virtual stamp feature (for consumers to collect reward points), you will be charged 5,000 yen per month. Coinciding with the release of the Android app, these merchants services will also be available in early September. The below video will give you an idea of…

oder-featuredimage

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based digital marketing startup Showcase Gig recently launched a suite of CRM (customer relationship management) solutions for small-sized stores. The service is called ‘O:der’ (apparently pronounced “order”), and is comprised of two iOS apps, one for consumers and another for merchants.

The merchants app allows you to market your business by issuing virtual coupons, and collect payments from customers before they visit your store. The app gives you several CRM features such as authenticating customers at the storefront for rewards, or distributing promotional coupons to customers’ smartphones. This solution will help you market your business without a point of sales terminal. As of now, the service is running at Fiat Caffe in Aoyama, Tokyo on a testing basis. The Android version of the consumer app will go live in early September.

oder_screenshots

The service will be provided on a freemium basis. If you wish to use additional options such as the virtual stamp feature (for consumers to collect reward points), you will be charged 5,000 yen per month. Coinciding with the release of the Android app, these merchants services will also be available in early September. The below video will give you an idea of how it will work.

For retailers serving customers in a limited space with few staffers, it would be difficult to set up a desktop PC for a CRM system. But this sort of app may be a better solution. I saw a demo of how it will work, and the app was very intuitive in its operation.

The startup’s CEO Takefumi Nitta is hoping to disrupt the CRM industry. In addition to online businesses, he has been involved in notable offline businesses too, producing Tokyo Girls Collection and mixiXmas [1]. Mr. Nitta explains:

There are many things that were not possible with feature phones several years ago, but we can do them with smartphones now. In my experience at mixiXmas, effective social marketing could motivate more than tens of thousands of users to act. For big merchants, that population may be small. But what’s about for small businesses? I intend to standardize these marketing processes and create a permanent consumer movement.

In the past, CRM solutions were intended for big merchants. But the high penetration of smartphones has drastically changed our environment. As some of our readers may know, here in Japan we have seen more and more Shopify-like commerce platforms such as Stores.jp or Base, typically helping small merchants run long-tail businesses online. Perhaps Showcase Gig can make its CRM solutions fit these same long-tail businesses.

  1. Tokyo Girls Collection is one of the biggest fashion events in Japan. Meanwhile, mixiXmas is a seasonal promotional campaign hosted by Mixi.  ↩

Related news

  1. capy-aws Japanese mobile captcha startup Capy wins IVS Launchpad, has more plans ahead
  2. Ietty fundraises $500,000, aiming to disrupt Japanese home rental industry
  3. Japanese scheduling and appointment booking solution Coubic raises $500,000

Recent Articles

Trends